The present invention relates to retainers and more particularly to retainers for automotive molding.
It is common to use molding and other trim elements on automobiles and similar products. Moldings may be applied to cover joints, seams and other unappealing features, or they may be applied simply for aesthetic purposes. Because it is not always easy to attach molding directly to automobile body parts, molding is often attached using a specialized retainer. Retainers are often specially configured based on the particular application to mount to the automobile and to provide a secure mounting structure for the molding. In many cases, the retainer mounts to the automobile by pushing an attachment leg or clip through an aperture in a body panel. In other cases, the retainer must be mounted over a flange or other similar structure in the body panels.
A variety of automobiles now include a roof ditch that extends along a portion of the roof above the door(s). The roof ditch is typically defined by the joint between the roof and the side panel of the automobile. Typically, the roof ditch is covered at least in part by a roof ditch molding. In many applications, the roof ditch molding is secured in the roof ditch by a plurality of two-piece retainers that attach to weld studs disposed along the roof ditch channel. The use of a conventional two-piece retainer can cause increased manufacturing costs because it requires separate manufacturing equipment and separate manufacturing steps for the two pieces. Also, the use of a two-piece retainer can increase installation cost because the two pieces need to be separately installed.